


The Lost Avatar

by BlueEyedGryphon



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:21:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26502808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueEyedGryphon/pseuds/BlueEyedGryphon
Summary: Nearly 15 years since the untimely death of Avatar Korra, the Order of the White Lotus has yet to successfully identify the next avatar. A young girl emerges from the Republic City spirit portal during an attack and then seals it. She must be the new Avatar. Her injuries indicate she has not had an easy life. Where has she been? And what comes next in her story? An exploration of a hero's recovery and discovery in the world of element bending.
Kudos: 4





	The Lost Avatar

“Jinora!” Kya called the leader of the Air Nation urgently, interrupting the younger woman’s evening meditation. “There is something happening at the spirit portal!”  
Jinora stood from the lotus position and turned to face Republic City. A large shadow, the shape of an eel was swimming in the sky around the yellow beam. Did the portal just flicker? It would occasionally dart down as though attacking. “Stay here” the master air bender instructed her aunt as she ran toward her air bison. Soon she was flying toward the scene.

***

Asami’s top floor executive office was a prime piece of real estate. It had a stunning view of the city scape and harbor. There was enough light from the spirit portal that the CEO did not need to use lamps until extremely late into the evening. So, she noticed when her this light source faded. She looked up from her documents to look out the window. A brief glimpse confirmed that there was trouble at the portal. Asami grabbed the electric glove she keeps in the top drawer of her desk and swiftly walked out of her office. She announced to her secretary that she was done for the evening. She did not exchange pleasantries with the young woman as she usually did leaving her employee perplexed. Asami moved as swiftly as she could in her heels, jumped into her classic Sato convertible, and took the fastest rout she could toward the portal.

***

Mako, who has served the chief of police of Republic City since the retirement of Lin Beifong, was in the middle of a training with some new recruits when it was interrupted by a beat cop who was out of breath. “Spirit portal!” he exclaimed.

Mako furrowed his brows in return. “That is not our domain. The air nation…” 

“Er… sorry, phone call from Master Opal! Urgent!” The cop exclaimed anxiously.

Mako excused himself from the class and went to his office to pick up the phone at his desk.

The airbending master who for some reason had married his brother did not bother with confirming her identity, nor did she bother with titles. “Mako, we need your help, crowd control or something. There are many dark spirits at the portal. We are trying to manage, but there are too many people around and they could get hurt.”

“On my way,” he assured her. He left his office and gestured to the officers in the main room. “Let’s go! As many units as possible to the spirit portal!”

Sirens blazed and howled all over the city as police cars rushed toward the central beam of light.

***  
Katara, named for her great grandmother, was a recently tattooed master air bender. While she chose to allow her hair to grow again after the traditional blue arrows were inked from head to toe. Like her mother, Jinora, she held a strong connection to the spirits. Though only 16 years in age she takes her assignment as Portal Sentinel seriously. Master Opal, the head Portal Sentinel, trusts her relationship with the spirits. She delegated their responsibilities clearly that stating once, “If it comes from the portal, it is your responsibility, if it wants to enter the portal it is my responsibility”. The spirit portal was usually a calm place as the air benders had transformed the area into a temple and meditation park. 

Katara’s deep brown eyes were wide as she witnessed thousands of dark wing spirits fly disperse from the portal like hungry bats and attack fellow air benders in swarms. It was impossible to manage all of them. Yet they were just a distraction and a nuisance compared to the much more threatening shark-eel spirit that was slithering out from the beam of light. She felt ill-prepared, having never seen a spirit of such immense size or apparent ferocity. The occasional dark spirits that emerged from the portal in the past had often been soothed by the tones of windchimes or flutes. Presently it was just chaos as the dark wings darted about and the shark eel shrieked urging their continued assault on the air benders and other portal visitors. Opal attempted to guide the public away from the inner ring of the vines that surrounded the beam, but a gathering of spectators began to amass around the perimeter. 

Katara called out to the great spirit that she believed was the organizer of this attack but was ignored. This spirit was clearly uninterested in communicating and intent on carrying on his assault of the physical world. Now was not the time to question why or how far he would go. She swatted at the dark wings, supplementing the movement with gusts of air. She was grateful for her short hair as she witnessed some people with long hair having it pulled by the smaller spirits. After she created an air barrier, preventing them from getting close to her, they left her to seek weaker opponents. This allowed her to leap from the ground and greet the shark eel where it twisted around the yellow beacon. She used a series of air punches and kicks to try to force the giant spirit back into the portal, to no avail. She succeeded only in angering him and forcing his attention toward her. The spirit coiled around her tightly, trapping her. She could sense an unusual, corrupted spirit energy flow from his body toward hers. It zapped her, nearly causing her to lose consciousness. Her surroundings blurred. Her body dropped toward the ground, but she could not bend to catch herself. She could barely move. Opal slowed her fall with a cushion of air. The beast spirit was not done with his attack though. He darted toward her with his mouth open.

The attack ended nearly as swiftly as it began. A small humanoid figure stood in the center of the beam. This character manipulated the light into a powerful vortex of spirit energy, easily sucking in the dark wings. When he was just inches away from Katara, the shark-eel spirit was trapped in the vortex as well, though writhing his body violently in a forceful effort to remain in the physical world. Having recovered mostly from the spirit shock he had given her, Katara began pushing air in the same direction as the vortex in hopes of making the current stronger. Opal and the other airbenders followed suit. The shark-eel howled as a vortex of wind and light devoured him and returned him to the spirit world. As soon as he was gone a girl with glowing white eyes stepped out of the portal. She raised her hands toward the beam. The light gradually faded until it was just a shining dome, dull compared to the radiant ribboned tower that had brightened Republic City since before Katara was born. The girl had sealed the portal. The only being capable of doing that was the Avatar!

Katara didn’t have time to think about that. She observed as the girl stumbled, detecting her imminent collapse. Katara swiftly glided to her and caught her before she fell and gently lowered her to the ground. A closer look informed Katara that the girl had been through a lot. There were a remarkable number of abrasions, bruises, and burns on the uncovered parts of the girl’s skin. The girl briefly regained consciousness, blinking open her eyes which were no longer glowing. Startled green irises met Katara’s soft brown. The airbender gently placed her hand over the girl’s.

“It’s over,” the older girl tried to assure her, “you’re safe now”.

“I’m not,” the smaller girl responded in a weakened voice, “He’ll come after me. They all will.”

Katara wanted to ask who, but before she could do so, the girl’s eyes closed again. “We’ll protect you,” she whispered instead. She continued to kneel and hold the girl’s hand. She lifted her head and saw the air benders circling around her and the girl. Opal stood beside her. “Alert my mother,” Katara requested.

“She’s already on her way,” Opal confirmed, facing Air Temple Island and spotting the sky bison and rider coming toward them. 

Katara returned her attention to the girl, aiming to assess her injuries. It was only a few minutes before Jinora arrived, but to Katara it felt longer as she watched the girl’s breath. Opal briefed her on the attack and the arrival of the girl from the portal. Jinora placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” she asked.  
Katara nodded determined not to show how vulnerable she felt after the spirit attack, “I’m more worried for her,” she indicated the girl whose hand she would not let of.

“Did she say anything?” asked Jinora.

The teenager shook her head. “Not much. Just that she doesn’t feel safe and that she believes someone is after her”.

“She will be safer at Air Temple Island rather than in the metropolis,” Jinora stated. Opal expressed agreement. 

“I’m coming too,” Katara announced. She began to lift the smaller girl who was surprisingly light weight. Jinora opened her arms, offering to carry the unconscious adolescent to her sky bison. Katara tightened her grip and strengthened her protective stance. “She saved my life. She came through the portal. She is my responsibility.” 

Jinora acknowledged her daughter’s resolution then ordered Opal and the airbenders to try to keep this as quiet as possible.

They started walking toward the bison. Jinora swiftly using an air push to taker her seat on the large creature’s neck as Jinora gently walked up the tail trying to avoid such sudden movement while carrying the injured girl. 

A middle-aged earthbender somehow pushed through the crowd and ran up to Opal. He wrapped his arms around the air bender and briefly kissed her. Opal assured him she was unharmed. “Is she back?” Bolin asked eagerly, “Is it the…” Opal placed a finger over his mouth, shushing him. Her intentional eyes and confirming nod answered his question. The avatar has returned.

Bolin, never one to hide his excitement ran toward the sky bison. “Can I come?” He requested. Jinora hesitated, knowing that his personality could be overwhelming and not wanting that to interfere with the girl’s recovery. She also knew that his earth bending talents would be helpful incase some less savory character did try to come for the young avatar. She bowed her head in consent. 

“I would like to come too!” said a female voice. Jinora turned to see the silvering hair of the still beautiful Asami Sato. 

“Ms. Sato is always welcome at Air Temple Island,” the master airbender said kindly to her old friend.

“I’m coming as well,” demanded the determined police chief.

“Certainly, Mako,” agreed Jinora.

When all were aboard the sky bison Jinora instructed lift off with a “Yip yip!”

Bolin, still too excited to comprehend the gravity of the situation put his arms around his brother and the business executive. “Look at us! All together! Team Avatar is back!” he exclaimed, as he looked around the bison’s saddle. “So, do we know her name?” he questioned the young airbender.

Katara glared at him in response as she continued to hold the frail form of the unconscious girl, effectively silencing him for the duration of the flight back to Air Temple Island.


End file.
